Chapter 1 The Lighthouse of Your Thesis/ Dissertation

Chapter
1:
The
Lighthouse

of
Your
Thesis
or

Dissertation

Most
Common
Structure
of
a
Thesis

or
Disserta4on

Each
University
states
how
many
chapters
a
thesis/
disserta5on
should
have.
However,
there
are
ﬁve

main
parts
that
are
common.
They
are:

•  Introduc5on

•  Literature
review

•  Methodology

•  Findings

•  Discussion,
conclusions,
and
recommenda5ons

Role
of
Each
Chapter
(I)

•  Introduc5on:
provides
a
precise
picture
of
what
the

thesis/disserta5on
is
about

•  Literature
review:
discusses
the
theories,
models,

approaches,
and
prior
research
that
serve
as
the

founda5on
of
the
study.
It
lets
us
be
aware
of
what

is
known
so
as
to
explore
the
unknown.

•  Methodology:
states
how
to
gather
and
analyze

data,
who
you
work
with,
and
why
you
do
it.

Role
of
Each
Chapter
(II)

•  Findings:
presents
the
results
of
the
study

generally
without
interpre5ng
them.
That
is
not

always
possible
in
qualita5ve
studies,
but
the

level
of
interpreta5on
is
low.

•  Discussion,
conclusions,
and
recommenda5ons:

gives
meaning
to
results
by
linking
them
to

previous
research,
theories,
and
prac5ce
and

also
to
future
research,
improved
theories
and

prac5ce.

Relationship
among
Chapters

Chapter
1

Sets
what
to
do

Chapter
2

Gives
founda5on

Chapter
3

Sets
how
to
do
the

study

Chapter
4

Presents
results

Chapter
5

Discusses
results

Why
Is
Chapter
1
the
Lighthouse
of
a

Thesis
or
Disserta4on?

Because
it
states:

• 
What
we
think
should
be
studied

•  The
theore5cal
and
research
framework
within
it

should
be
studied

•  What
we
expect
to
achieve

•  What
we
have
to
answer
or
test

•  How
we
will
look
for
that
answer
or
do
that
test

Each
of
these
items
inﬂuences
any
decision
we

made
in
the
process
and
all
of
them
are
together
in

chapter
1.
Therefore,
we
always
have
to
look
at
it

in
order
to
know
what
to
do.
It
is
our
lighthouse.

Main
Elements
of
Chapter
1

(but
not
necessarily
presented
as
headings)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Introduc5on
or
Overview

Background

Theore5cal
or
Conceptual
Framework

Problem
Statement

Purpose
of
the
Study

Research
Ques5ons

Research
Design

Other
elements
usually
included

Introduction or Overview
USUALLY
IT
IS
EXPECTED
THAT
YOU
PROVIDE
THE
ROADMAP
OF

WHAT
IS
PRESENTED
IN
THE
CHAPTER,
INCLUDING
THE
SCOPE

OF
THE
STUDY
IN
TERMS
OF
WHAT
WAS
DONE,
WHO

PARTICIPATED,
AND
HOW
IT
WAS
CONDUCTED.

THIS
HAS
TO
BEEN
DONE
VERY
SUCCINCTLY
IN
NOT
MORE
THAN

2
PARAGRAPHS.

Background
A
NARRATIVE
THAT
INTENDS
TO
SET
UP
THE
CONTEXT
WITHIN
WHICH
THE

RESEARCH
PROBLEM
EMERGES
AND
STATES
THE
NEED
AND
IMPORTANCE
OF

THE
STUDY.

TO
DO
IT,
YOU
DISCUSS
WHAT
HAS
ALREADY
BEEN
RESEARCHED
SO
FAR
AND

WHAT
GAP(S)
YOUR
STUDY
TRIES
TO
FILL
UP,
USING
LITERATURE
TO
SUPPORT

POINTS
OF
VIEW.

THE
MAIN
GOALS
ARE
TO
CONTEXTUALIZE
THE
STUDY,
GRAB
READERS’

ATTENTION,
AND
EMPHASIZE
THE
SIGNIFICANCE
OF
THE
STUDY.

Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
THIS
IS
A
SUCCINCT
DISCUSSION
OF
THE
THEORIES,
PRINCIPLES,

MODELS,
APPROACHES,
AND
RESEARCH
THAT
ARE
BEHIND
THE

VARIABLES
OF
YOUR
STUDY
AND
THEIR
RELATIONSHIPS.
IN

THIS
SENSE,
IT
IS
A
QUICK
VIEW
OF
WHAT
YOU
WILL
DISCUSS
IN

THE
LITERATURE
REVIEW.
CITATIONS
ARE
A
MUST.

THE
GOAL
IS
TO
PRESENT
THE
THEORETICAL
AND
RESEARCH

BASES
OF
THE
STUDY
IN
A
VERY
SUMMARIZED
WAY.

Problem Statement
SPECIFIC
DESCRIPTION
OF
WHAT
INTRIGUES
A
RESEARCHER.

GENERALLY
SPEAKING,
IT
INCLUDES
BRIEFLY
WHAT
IT
IS
ALREADY

KNOWN
ABOUT
THE
PROBLEM
SITUATION
AND
THAT
ESTABLISHES
THE

CONTEXT
FROM
WHICH
THE
RESEARCH
PROBLEM
EMERGES,
WHAT
IS

UNKNOWN
AND
DESERVES
TO
BE
STUDIED
–
THE
RESEARCH
PROBLEM-‐

AND
WHY
IT
IS
IMPORTANT
TO
KNOW
ABOUT
THAT
PROBLEM

Purpose of the Study
WHAT
A
RESEARCHER
INTENDS
TO
FIND
OUT
OR
DO
IN
A
STUDY
.IT

DEFINES
THE
GOAL
TO
ACHIEVE
AS
A
RESULT
OF
DOING
THE
STUDY.

Research Questions
WHAT
A
RESEARCHER
SPECIFICALLY
WANTS
TO
ANSWER
–
OR
TEST-‐

CONDUCTING
A
STUDY.

EACH
RESEARCH
QUESTION
SHOULD
ADDRESS
A
SPECIFIC
ASPECT
OF
THE

RESEARCH
PROBLEM
IN
ORDER
TO
BE
ABLE
TO
HAVE
ANSWERS
THAT
PROVIDE

CLEAR,
VALID,
UNMIXED,
AND
USEFUL
INFORMATION.

THIS
IMPLIES
THAT
YOU
MAY
HAVE
GENERAL
AND
SPECIFIC
RESEARCH

QUESTIONS.

Significance of the Study
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
THE
STUDY
COULD
BE
INCLUDED
IN
THE

BACKGROUND
OR
AS
A
SEPARATE
SECTION.
THE
MAIN
POINT
IS

THAT
THE
THEORETICAL
AND/OR
PRACTICAL
BENEFITS
OF
THE

STUDY
MUST
BE
CLEARLY
STATED.

Research Design
ALTHOUGH
NOT
ALL
UNIVERSITIES
ASK
FOR
A
SUMMARY
OF

METHODOLOGY
IN
CHAPTER
1,
IT
IS
USEFUL
TO
INCLUDE
IT
SINCE
IT

LETS
READERS
EVALUATE
THE
APPROPRIATENESS
OF
THE
RESEARCH

DESIGN
JUST
FROM
THE
BEGINNING
AND
ALSO
HELPS
YOU
HAVE
A

QUICK
VIEW
OF
METHODOLOGY
WHENEVER
YOU
NEED
TO
MAKE

DECISIONS
ON
THE
THESIS/DISSERTATION
PROCESS.

Other Elements Usually Included
HYPOTHESES
(IN
QUANTITATIVE
AND
MIXED
METHODS

STUDIES),
ASSUMPTIONS,
LIMITATIONS
,
AND
DEFINITION
OF

KEY
TERMS

Process
to
Develop
Chapter
1

Background

Theore5cal

Framework

Problem
Statement

Purpose
of
the
Study

Research
Ques5on

(Hypothesis
if

needed)

Research
Design

Now
You
Know

1.  The most common structure of
a thesis or dissertation
2.  The role of each chapter in it
3.  The relationship among
chapters
4.  Main elements of chapter 1
5.  The process to develop it

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question?

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Chapter 1 The Lighthouse of Your Thesis/ Dissertation

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